Short answer: Yes. Shawn says, “[The producers] don’t care anything about the relationship. They don’t care if a relationship works; they just want the ratings.” His fiancée of more than two years completely agreed with him. “They care about the ratings,” says Bristowe. “Ratings, ratings, ratings.”

The two said that once the show is over, and the audience has its happy ending, the producers couldn’t care less about whether the couple actually stays together. As Shawn put it, “You’re still gonna watch.”